"The Secret Life of An American Teenager"

This show is not one of my favorites, but it is something that I can't seem to stop watching. Produced by the same folks who created 7th Heaven, Secret Life is about a 15 year old girl who has sex once and finds herself in a situation that no young girl wants to be in. It's not that the show isn't realistic-because this definitely could happen, it's not that making young girls aware of the consequences is a bad idea...I just wish that these people could ACT and teach good values at the same time. I wish that they could be honest about what they are really trying to do here instead of giving themselves a label that they think keeps them safe from being categorized with just any other nighttime drama. What is it about creating a "Christian" show that says the the show can do whatever it wants? Why do "Christian" based shows have to have such bad actors? I have nothing against the Christian values, the true stories, or the overacted drama...I don't even mind the ridiculously perfect looking actors and actresses; I just wish that they could seem more REAL and less "I'm trying to teach young kids today a lesson and I need to be as clear as possible so that I get my point across". They remind me of adults talking to kids and literally spelling things out to try to get their point across.
I can't help but think of Sarah and Abby and how Janet will deal with trying to teach them these good Christian values...I'm not sure that watching a show like this with bad acting and brow beaten morals would be a GOOD thing. I feel like putting the title "Christian" on a show like this makes the producers think that it's okay to talk about sex and teenagers and divorce in a TV drama atmosphere. Call it what it is: a nighttime Soap Opera, and get it over with. THEN it feels more acceptable to watch it because no one is fooling themselves into thinking at the ONLY reason this show is on TV is to learn something from this. Yes, maybe some kids would be smart enough to take the right things to heart from this show, but, really, I wouldn't want my kids to watch a show like this any more than I would want them to watch The OC. I think I would rather they watch the old 90210...at least they were honest about making a Dramatic TV show and nothing more.
So, the real question is, Why do I still watch the show. I guess I would have to say that I am always hopeful that something good will come out of it. Despite their lack of acting skills these young actors DO have potential-especially when learning from old school 70's/80's actors like Molly Ringwald and John Schneider (of Dukes of Hazzard Fame). There is some truth to the drama-because being in high school CAN be that ridiculous, so maybe I see some of my teenage-hood in this show. I just hope that kids don't see this and think that it's okay for that much drama to go on; or that it's necessary. Being a teenager, being in high school should be about so much more.

"Joan of Arcadia"

I often feel the need to share my enthusiasm for a movie or TV show, so here goes #1:
Joan of Arcadia is one of my all time favorite TV shows. This show started in 2003-I can't believe it was that long ago-and was canceled after 2 seasons-for what reasons I don't know. Joan was a launching point for Amber Tamblyn (later of Traveling Pants fame), which is what the show is remembered for, but it was really so much more than that. The show's premise is based on the idea that Joan has been chosen by God to help better the lives of those who surround her. God comes to her in the bodies of all kinds of people from all walks of life, often surprising her at school, on the street, etc. God is played as an asexual all mighty being with a curiously realistic sense of humor, a great sense of justice, and a very frustrating need to share as few details as possible. Joan is sent on missions: "build a boat", "join AP Chemistry", "have a yard sale". God never explains why, but lets Amber Tamblyn's typical teenager Joan (who has an AWESOME sense of style) figure things out on her own-and not without difficulty. There are many reasons why I love this show:
1) The cast: Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Ritter, and the ever awesome Amber Tamblyn-just to mention a few. All of these people work together so well to create a realistic family environment. They fight, they laugh, they sit down to dinner together. They disperse at breakfast and don't come home until late. Joan and her brother Luke have a class together, but still can't
identify with their loaner/geek statuses at school...really the most well put together cast in a long time.
2) The idea that God will speak to us, or DOES speak to us in everyday life is such an uplifting thought. Did it ever occur to anyone that God might be speaking to us all the time, but not introducing him/herself as is done with Joan?
3) I also love the idea that God comes to Joan in all shapes and sizes-from an old lady with a hunchback and glasses to a young girl at the park to a telephone line worker or a member of her AP Chemistry class. This just shows us that God is everywhere and it's okay to believe that.
4) Joan's supporting cast of friends-Grace (Becky Wahlstrom) and Adam (Chris Marquette)-are also a huge part of this show. They are the outcasts, the loaners, the people that I hung out with in school. They play their characters so well; Adam is so endearing as he walks his on path and floats around in his own little world. The fact that he calls Joan "Jane" just makes him that much more real and personal. Grace brings forth the confused and hostile teenager that we see so often and can never seem to figure out, but, just as we want to hate her for being so dark and alone, she reaches out to us and brings us back in.
5) I love that Joan's little brother's name is Luke, that he has fluffy blonde hair and big glasses, that he's super smart, totally skinny, and a big dork. I think, if MY brother Luke hadn't found his guitar THIS is the boy he would have been.:) Does anyone remember the professional theater photo Luke had done his Freshman or Sophomore year? Joan's brother Luke looks like MY brother Luke in that photo.:)
Basically, I wish that this show had continued on because it was one of the few pieces of art that have come out of TV/movies these days. This show gave us the chance to enjoy ourselves, but still makes us think about The Greater Good and how we can effect people in OUR everyday lives as Joan helped people through the vague guidance that God gave her. God always tells her that Free Will is one the best and worst things that was given to us, but the way we use it makes us who we are. I can only hope that I can approach every day with the willingness that I need to embark on the "jobs" that God might present me with-even if I don't know exactly what those jobs might be.

Stormy Weather...

Well, it looks like the storm is almost over and we have survived. Our yard is a large puddle, but the cars are not sinking into mud holes and nothing is blowing around the yard like crazy. Robert's parents got some water up under their house, but their house is 17 feet off the ground, so we are pretty sure they will be fine. They DID lose electricity, so they moved 2 blocks up to stay with Kim and Rick for the rest of the storm. We have had some flickering lights, but no loss of electricity yet, thank Goodness. I Wouldn't mind so much except that it's still pretty humid outside. Robert got some great photos down by the beach and driving around this morning before the bad rain hit.I always thought that it wouldn't be a big deal if a hurricane hit because we don't own any property down here, but in experiencing it first hand I realized that there is a lot more to it. I had to help bring EVERYTHING inside at Lowe's PLUS deal with selling HUNDREDS of generators and more than 1000 gas cans, plus all the other supplies that everyone needed (I guess Lowe's is not the place to work at if you don't want to deal with a hurricane Rush). Gas stations were out of gas before the weekend started! Then, if the storm had actually headed our way we would have had to help everyone else board up their houses and then run North...however far we felt we needed to go. And if the storm HAD hit we would have been without electricity for who knows HOW long! Even if our house wasn't damaged it would have been horrible without A/C, gas, water...In reality I am happy to have experienced this whole thing because it made me realize how scary it can be to live here in the South. I'm not saying it is the only deciding factor in where we might go in our lives, but it has given me a new perspective to think on.

ALLERGIES

As if I didn't have enough to worry about with the hurricane coming and work being so busy I have now developed an allergic reaction to something. It started on Tuesday with a few dots on my stomach, then Wednesday there were a few more and by the time I woke up Friday morning my entire torso, head, and right arm were liberally dusted with hives! Not that you want to see my stomach, but this is what they look like:
These photos were taken AFTER 8 hours of medication coursing through my body! Because we were so busy at work I decided I would stick it out and just be itchy until the benadryl kicked in, but it never did, so I finally decided to go to the emergency room (my doctor's office being closed) to get checked out. Emergency rooms being what they are they really had no diagonsis except an "A-topic dermatitis" or "bug bites". So, I came home with itch relief medication, strong anti-histamines, steroid pills, and more benadryl. Oh, and Lice soap just incase it was invisible bugs crawling over my body for the last 4 days (RIIIIGHT).
Even though I might be looking at an end to the itch I Felt horrible because the doctor told me I shouldn't work while being on all these medications cuz they will make me tired and loopy! I was determined to go to work anyway because we are too busy for me not to be there, but when I woke up this morning and took my medications it was all I could do to stare at the TV...and I STILL itch! Look at the weird patterns that the hives made:
But now that I've had medicine in my body for a while they hives are starting to fade...they STILL itch, but I'm making it through.:) The mystery question NOW is WHAT am I allergic to?
PS: the medicine is working without the bug cream, so no invisible bugs, thank GOD!

Hurricane Craziness

So, it looks like I'm going to experience my first Hurricane. It all started on Monday when everyone saw that Gustav was heading our way (this was a projection of 9 days out, by the way). We had a few people coming in to look at Generators. We had a few people coming in to buy gas cans. Then one of my managers said, "Let's stackout some gas cans and generators." So, we did. Mind you, we have had over 400 5 gallon gas cans in top stock ALL YEAR LONG because we never sell them. By mid day on Tuesday we had sold out of the first set of gas cans that we put out (about 100) and sold about 10 generators (atleast $700 each). So, we brought down some more gas cans and put the rest of the generators in top stock onto the sales floor. Then, all of sudden, around 10am the store blew up and the people started pouring in. I'm surprised that there weren't fights over the last few generators. I mean, I couldn't get gas cans out of top stock fast enough. People were grabbing the cases before I could unwrap them! And, by 2pm every generator (even the displays) and every 5 gallon gas can was GONE. By the end of the night we were sold out of 2 gallon gas cans and my job turned into Seasonal Phone Operator where my answers were reduced to "NO, we don't have any generators", "no we don't have any gas cans, and "we HOPE we will get them in tomorrow, but WE'RE NOT SURE." I did not put the phone down for more than a minute until I left at 7pm that night. And THAT was 3 days ago...
We finally got 87 generators in on Thursday afternoon, but they were sold out before I got to work at noon today (friday). We also got 500 more gas cans and those sold out around 4pm today.
This whole thing amazes me...not because I think people are overreacting-because I would too if I had lost my entire life like some of these people did in Katrina-but because I've never been through this type of Natural Disaster sort of stuff. I don't even know where to start. I keep thinking we will be fine because the storm is projecting further and further west, but how bad will it be if we still get the wind and the rain from the outer rings? Will we still want to stay at our house, which is only 1 mile from the beach? Or do we want to go inland where our cars might not get flooded, but a tree might blow down on them? I guess it's a 50/50 chance. But I still take a moment every hour or so to think, "Is this really real? Am I really going to go through a hurricane?"
I just can't express how I'm feeling right now. I'm not scared, but I'm not calm. Not really stressed, but maybe a little anxious...
check out the path:
http://www.weather.com/maps/news/atlstorm7/floater9_large.html?from=hp_main_maps

Sushi and Sake

SUSHI AND SAKE!


We went out to dinner with our friends Janna and Rhonda the other night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We went to a restaurant in Ocean Springs, which is about 30 minutes West of Pascagoula. Ocean Springs is to Pascagoula as Damariscotta is to Bremen-for all you Maine folk who have taken the time to read my little blog.:)
The restaurant, Edo's Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, is run by a guy who was a chef for Bill Clinton! He moved here from New York and he was SO nice. Janna goes to Edo's often and is friendly with all the staff, so we got some really good service.:) The food was AWESOME, but the best part was sitting at the hibachi table and having Rocky, the chef, come out and entertain us while he cooked our food. I didn't order any hibachi-just sushi rolls (I LOVE SUSHI)- so I was immediately nicknamed "Sushi Girl" by Rocky. He was nice enough to give me the leftovers from everyone else's hibachi dishes (some fried rice, a shrimp, a scallop, and one piece of broccoli). Then came the SAKE.:) He had one of those squirt bottles that they use in a kitchen and it was full of Sake. The trick is that he squirts it in your mouth and counts seconds until you can't swallow anymore. Janna said she would do it immediately - apparently Janna is pretty good because she all ready has the nickname of "Sake Girl".:) AND she made it for 20 seconds!
Robert said that he would do it and Rhonda finally said that SHE would too, but I was too afraid to make a mess.:) SURPRISE! HA!
But, when Rocky wouldn't leave me alone and decided to throw shrimp at all of us I figured I couldn't say no again (thought it might be bad manners when sitting at the Hibachi), so I let him throw shrimp at me and I actually caught it in my mouth! This gave me enough courage to try the Saki trick and there you go...
I made it to 14 seconds-not great, but pretty good for someone who can't swallow with their mouth open.:) We finished off the night with some deep fried ice cream (On the house)...it was a great night.
It's good to be reminded that I have friends down here in the South because sometimes I feel so alone down here. I really love Rhonda and Janna and I am so glad that we have met them and are able to find time to hang out with them.:)
I'm not sure that I will go to Edo's again anytime soon, though: $167 is a little much for dinner...even if it IS for 4 people.:) Still, it was REALLY good and really fun.

Politics

Ok, despite growing up in New England-land of the Passionate Democrat, the Tree Hugger, the Environmentalists, etc-I have no real interest in Politics. I have many people around me who believe in them and base their lives on them: my mother and my aunt didn't speak for a year when my mom said that she was voting for George Bush! But, I just don't get it.
There are many aspects to politics that confuse me:
1) Half the time politicians are speaking a language that makes no sense to me. Sometimes it's because I just don't understand economics. Sometimes it's because their speech writers try to make them sound smarter than they are. Sometimes it's because they can't read what their speech writers write. Sometimes it's because the world doesn't make sense so why should the people who think that they are running it.
2) Most of the things that politicians say, especially presidential candidates, are nothing but words. To me, they are just false promises and silly words that have nothing to do with anything accept to show that they can speak and read off of a teleprompter. WHY should we believe anything that these people say? How can we base our vote on WORDS and words alone? How do we KNOW what they say IS true, will COME true, and will have the desired effect? How do we know who these people really are?
3) What do we really know about the senators and what they really do in Washington? All the information we have comes from the media and the media turns these things whatever way that they want to. Who's word do we believe?
So, who do I vote for? Does watching every debate, the summits, the conventions and all that crap really help a person to understand what they are voting for? I really don't think that it does. I really don't know what I want to do about voting. I would have voted for Hillary because I want a woman to be president and I know she's got at least one good person behind her because her speeches are usually good. I'm not sure what to do about Mcain and Obama. Usually I am a gut feeling kind of person and my gut tells me that Mcain is a jackass with fake "values". But I haven't gotten that from speeches and reports, I've gotten it from the look on his face, the images and photos. Still, Obama may be the family man, the health care guy, the New Black Man, the voice of the future, the Green Guy, and the Democrat, but he doesn't seem to be anything more than promises that have been made before. I would LOVE it if health insurance was cheaper and easier and I would love to vote for the guy who wasn't totally against abortion and IS totally for "Greening" the USA, but is THAT enough to base my vote on? Is it worth voting at all? Will he really bring those things forward?
I consider myself to be a liberal person. I do NOT consider myself a Democrat OR a Rebublican; although I generally lean toward the Democratic beliefs, but I do not stake my life on voting. Some people are shocked when I say that I don't vote unless it's for the presidency, but, really, I feel like my indecisiveness isn't worth anything. IF I understand, IF I feel strongly about it, IF I am 100% sure then, yes, I will vote for the smallest town law to be passed-or for the president. But, if I don't know, and there's no one there I feel the need to support, which is the lesser evil?